Pro-Russian protests show no sign of stopping in Ukraine

April 8 - Riot police and protesters remain in stand-off in parts of Ukraine as demands for referendum on joining Russia increase. Nathan Frandino reports.

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With tensions boiling throughout Ukraine, pro-Russian protests show no sign of backing down.
(SOUNDBITE) (Russian) OLESYA, PROTESTER, SAYING:
"We demand a referendum. From the very first day we've been demanding a referendum. But we want it to be a fair one, so that the people from all over the world would come here to monitor it. And the gang which is now meeting at the parliament should not impose their opinion on us."
Overnight, riot police detained about 70 protesters who were occupying the government building in Kharkiv.
Scuffles ensued in the morning.
One protester said they just want peace.
(SOUNDBITE) (Russian) STEPAN VINNIK, PROTESTER, SAYING:
"Let the European Union, Russia, China, America come here, let Yanukovich and all those other signatories come here and resolve all these issues and calm down the country. That's what we want."
In Kiev, the conflict is center stage in parliament.
During an address by the head of Communist party, he questioned what Ukrainian authorities had done to prevent violence in the region.
His comments prompted backlash from the far-right nationalist party and a brawl broke out.
The Communist party had backed former President Viktor Yanukovich before he fled the country in February.